He pointed a gun at 4 people, but hid it in a flowerpot when officers arrived, police say

A 20-year-old man was arrested Thursday night after he reportedly pointed a handgun at four people in downtown Bellingham and later was seen brandishing the gun.

Ty Caaleb Fortune was booked into Whatcom County Jail early Friday on suspicion of four counts of first-degree assault and one count each of carrying/exhibiting/drawing a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and being a minor in possession of alcohol.

Bellingham Police officers were called at 9:33 p.m. to the 500 block of East Chestnut Street, Lt. Claudia Murphy said, after four victims reported a man, later identified as Fortune, had pointed a handgun directly at them before driving away.

Nearly two hours later at 11:24 p.m., Murphy said, officers responded to the 200 block of East Holly Street for reports of a man, matching the description from the first incident, brandishing a gun, though not pointing it directly at anybody.

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Officers located Fortune, who matched the description, Murphy said, and noticed he was carrying a sweatshirt. When Fortune saw the officers, he put the sweatshirt in a flowerpot, attempting to hide it.